Hair curler or waver



T. H. Ross HAIR GURLER on wAvER' April29, 1924. 1,492,398

.Filed May 9. 1923 INVENTOR mamas Efiass A TTORNE Y Patented Apr. 29,T1924.

UNWED STATES,

iaaaaee PATENT c eme.

THOMAS HJROSS, OF. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY'DIREO'l AND MESNEAS- SIGNMENTS, TO ABCAS BRASS ZAND IRON COMPANY, INC., OFNEW' YO'RK,N.'Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HAIR CURLER OR 'WAV'ER.

Application filedlltay 9, 1923. 7 Serial No. 637,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. Ross, a citizen of the United States, andresident of borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Hair Curlersor VVa-vers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hair curlersor 10 wavers of the class whereinthe device consists of a pair of connected springarms that are normallydivergent, in which condition a strand of hair is to be wrapped aboutone arm, and then the pair of arms are pressed together and secured bysuitable engaging means for a period during which the wrapped hairbecomes set into a formed curl or wave.

My present improvement, directed to this character of hair curler orwaverincludes the provision of novel engaging means between the springarms, whereby the device may be more conveniently operated, and it alsoincludes certain structural features whereby the hair curling or wavingproduced by its use, is more effective thanwith other devices of thesame class, besides being less likely to cut or injure the hair.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists of a strip offlat metallic material, of spring-like character, folded to provide twodivergent arms, with the fold comprising a tensional joint, one of thearms having inturned lateral portions, to thus provide rounded edges,and its'freeend being bent or rolled over in the form ofa hook; whilstthe other arm, which may be shaped into a tube, and is adapted to have astrand of hair wrapped thereon is of such shorter length that its freeend may be snapped under the hook of thelonger arm, when'pressed in thedirection thereof, to thereby lock the arms together for. theperformance of the hair curling or waving operation.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical front view of my improved hair curler or waver, inthe closed position.

Fig. 2 is a' section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a side elevation ,of, the device in its closed position, 1 I

Fig. 4 isa. side elevation, showing the dev c ope m d F ig.,5 is asideelevation of the device, showingit in the closed position with astrandof hair engagedthereby in process of curl or wave formation. i

In carrying out my invention I take a strip of thin sheet metallicmaterial, of spring-like character,.and shape or fold it to provide thejoint or heel 1 and the normally divergent arms 2, 3. i

The arm 2,;;whichis shorter than arm 3 is, by a suitable formativeprocess, made tubular o-rcylindrical for the greater portion ofitslength. Thisarm12*is intended to have wrapped aboutit a strand or lockof hair which is-to be curled or waved. The arm 3,:which is left flat,has lateral portions 4, 4 thereoffolded over upon its inner surface,,tothereby afford a rounded contour for the edges 5, 5 which are thusprovided. Also, by means, of the folded over lateral portions 4, 4,whicheach occupy a relatively narrow space upon the inner, surfaceofarm- 3, there is left an intermediate surface portion-thereon inthe'formof a central depression or channel 6. This channel is opposed to the arm2, so; thatwhen the arm 2 is wrapped with 'hair, and fastened, thatportion of the hair caught between the arms 2 and 3 becomes crimpedbyreason of its being pressed intothe channel.

The fastening means between the arms is provided by means of a hook-likeformation 7 at the free end of arm 3. In the example of this fasteningmeans shown in the drawings it appears in partly cylindrical orrolledover shape, the end of the hook approaching, but lying in spacedrelation to theinner surface of the arm, and the clearance interveningbeing sufiicient in extent for the reception of the arm 2. It isessential thatrthe outer. surface of the hook 7 shall present an incline8 which slopes downwardly in the direction of the heel of the device,and lies in the inward or closing path of the arm 2, at the extreme freeend of the latter. In fact the length of arm 2 is just sufiicient toenable it, in closing, to strike against incline 8, and then, underpressure, to slightly displace the hook until and locked, the bulkprovided by the hair lying between the arms causes the arm 3 to bulgeoutwardly, which has the eflect of shortening its length relatively toits normal length, and thereby the hook will overhanga greater extent ofarm 2 when snapped thereon, thus rendering the look more secure,

In fact the lock becomes stronger in proportion to the extent of theload imposed thereon, as the quantity of hair gripped between the armsis increased.

It should be particularly noted that with this device, locking thereofis performed by the action of pressing one arm directly toward'the otherarm, whereupon an automatic snap fastening effect is provided, and thatthis is'easily done with one hand.

To release the lock the arm 2 is pressed sideways until its free endleaves engagement with hook 7. This operation is facilitated by thecylindrical form of arm 2, which-thus presents ample surface for theemployment of laterally applied pressure thereon, as by the thumb of theuser. 1

Itwill be appreciated that relatively thin stock may be employed in themanufacture of'this device, because both the arms 2 and 3 are stiffenedin their structural formation, the arm 2 because it is made cylindrical,and the arm 3 because of its marginal folded over portions. required ,topossess. a degree of spring tension, is stiffened sufficiently thereforby the marginal folded over portions.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallycomprehended by r the foregoing disclosure.

I claim: 7

1. A hair curler or waver composed of a single strip of spring-likematerial, bent into two, normally divergent, straight arms of unequallength, the-shorter arms, which is to be wrapped with hair beingcylindrical to renderit stiff and unyielding, and. the longer arm beinglongitudinally flexible and being relatively fiat, with foldedoverjlateral portions to reinforce it, leaving an intermediate channel,and said longer arm 7 having a Also the hook 7, which is.

curved, inturned hook whose outer surface provides an inclined guideopposed to the end of the shorter arm in closing the arms together, thehook' end being opposedly spaced from the inner surface of the longerarm, and capable of yielding sufliciently under closing pressure topermit the end of the shorter arm to snap past the hook for engagement.r

2. A device of the kind described composed of a single strip ofresilient material of substantially uniform width throughout, said stripbeing doubled intermediate its ends to-provide a longer and a shorterarm the portion of the strip forming the shorter arm being laterallyformed to constitute a substantially closed circular'tube, the por-.

tion forming the longer arm having its lateral edges inturned to providesmoothly rounded and reinforced edges, the free ends of the arms beingprovided with-interlocking elements. 7

3. A device ofv the kind described composed of a single strip ofresilient material of substantially uniform width throughout, said stripbeing doubled intermediate its ends to 'provide a longer and a shorterarm the portion of the strip forming the shorter arm being laterallyformed to constitute a substantially closed circular tube, the portionforming the longer arm having its lateral edges inturned to providesmoothly rounded and reinforced edges, the free ends of the arms beingprovided with interlocking elements, one of which constitutes a guidefor the other in closing the arms together.

4. A device of the kind described composed and reinforced edges, thefree end of the longer arm having a hook shaped formation to form aguide for the shorter arm in closing said arms together, whereby saidshorter arm enters into snap lock engagement with said longer arm.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, in

the city, county, and State ofNew York, this 5th day of May, A. D; 1923.

THOMAS H. ROSS;

